Repercussions
by cindella204
Summary: Commission for "The Ice Within". Thirteen years after the rebellion, Katniss, Peeta, and Gale are reflecting on the past as Katniss' pregnancy stirs up old memories. Only a three-shot. I DO NOT have plans to continue it as of right now; that was never the intention with this story. Thanks for understanding!
1. KATNISS' POV

**SHOUT OUTS:**

**Commission for "The Ice Within"! Thanks for your dedication to _When Life Became A Game_!**

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**DISCLAIMER:**

**There are several concepts, characters, and real life things that I use and/or mention in this chapter that I don't own. These include but are not limited to the Hunger Games, Annie Cresta-Odair, Katniss Everdeen/Mellark, Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne, Primrose Everdeen, Safari, Google News. the Quarter Quell, the City Circle, and HEAT Magazine.**

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**A/N: Last of the four one-shot commissions for my top WLBAG reviewers! Enjoy! This is posted in three chapters for the POV changes although it is really a one-shot.**

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**IN THIS CHAPTER: **Nothing O_O

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**KATNISS' POV**

"What do you want for lunch?," asks Peeta, standing just inside the door of our home office. At least that's what Effie calls it. I just call it the "Computer Room" since it's the primary home of our fancy Capitol laptop that came with the house.

He frowns, noticing a lone envelope sitting in the corner of the desk. "I thought you said you sent all those out."

"I did. This one's a draft; I ended up rewriting it. I'm not sure why I didn't throw it out."

"Oh," Peeta says, but we both know that's not the case.

That one was for Gale.

Couldn't bring myself to send it.

"Anyway, lunch?"

"Something light," I respond. "I'm not feeling that great."

He nods and exits, giving me the space I need, and my head drops into my hands. Now I understand why Finnick kept playing the pregnancy card in the arena. It really makes you a hot mess.

I'm happy with Peeta. I know I belong with Peeta. I know I _don't_ belong with Gale, and I _wouldn't_ be happy with him.

So why is it so dang hard to communicate with him? To spare him the hurt that he's gonna feel when we announce it to the world saying we've already told the people important to us, and he's received nothing?

Maybe he'll feel nothing.

But probably not.

I would sure feel more than "nothing" if he did the same to me.

I power up the laptop and open the folder with all of our letters, opening the document labeled "Gale".

Word count, two.

_Dear Gale, _

I have no clue what to say, but I just force myself to start typing.

_Dear Gale,_

_I'm pregnant. Just wanted to let you know before we release it to the media._

_- Katniss._

No. Just no.

The canned letter Peeta drafted up for the people we don't know as well isn't going to work either.

_Dear Gale,_

_We are proud to announce that we are expecting a child in October! We wouldn't have even had this opportunity without the continued support of all of you, and we thank you in advance for encouragement to come!_

_With lots of love,_

_Katniss and Peeta_

Worse than the first one.

I sigh and sleep the computer. He'll just have to find out through the news release that Effie's planning like everyone else.

Too bad if it hurts him. Watching Prim die hurt.


	2. PEETA'S POV

**IN THIS CHAPTER: **Nothing.

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**PEETA'S POV**

Katniss forgets that just because I'm not a hunter doesn't mean I'm blind. The envelope was addressed to Gale. I'm not surprised or particularly upset by that fact, in fact I _was_ surprised when she didn't send him one with the first batch.

Gale.

As much as I dislike him for putting Katniss through so much pain, at some point you start to feel sorry for him. Spent years helping Katniss feed her family, had her back throughout the entire rebellion, just to accidentally create the agent that killed her sister who's also the girl his little brother has had his eyes on for years.

At least that's what Katniss says.

It's times like these when I want to wrap her in my arms, kiss her, and tell her I love her, but she knows that and it won't help this situation at all. Instead, I give her space and hope that helps.

Hope.

It's all we have left.


	3. GALE'S POV

**IN THIS CHAPTER: **Nothing

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**GALE'S POV**

I sit down at the computer and open Safari, clicking Google News on my toolbar. I'm still getting used to using the small consumer-grade laptop rather than the military ones we had in Thirteen, but I know enough to navigate the internet. Most of the news is either stuff about rebuilding in the various districts or stalking the remaining victors (Annie Cresta-Odair and thirteen year old son spotted at Hunger Games Museum: Is he ready to know the truth about his parents?), but something catches my eye under the customized topic "Katniss Mellark".

Just because I left the district doesn't mean that I don't care about how's she's doing.

"Mellarks announce baby due in October!"

_What?_

Katniss is pregnant. She said she would never. That was probably conditional to the Games though. And now that there are no Games…

I thought I had come to terms with the entire situation, but the announcement sends a fresh wave of pain through me that I haven't felt in years.

Apparently I'm a masochist because I click on the link to PanemHEAT to read the entire article.

"_After the tragic miscarriage caused by the Quarter Quell, the star-crossed lovers of District 12 will finally have the chance to start a family again! Yesterday afternoon, the couple permitted former district escort and publicist Effie Trinket to publish a news release written almost a month before._

"_We've known for awhile now," says Peeta Mellark, half of the couple that captivated the nation fourteen years ago. "We just weren't ready to let the public know, because we knew as soon as we released it we'd start having to deal with press. We wanted to deliver the news to our family, friends, and district first._ _Now that we've sent out all the letters and made all the phone calls, we're ready to tell the rest of the nation."_

So other people already know. For some reason that stings. Nothing's appeared in my mailbox. I'm not family, and probably not a friend either, but they told the _entire_ district. Those aren't all friends and family either.

Keep reading.

_The baby is due in October, and the couple is already planning for their new life._

"_I've been talking to my mom a lot about what's to come, and Peeta and I _are_ thinking about baby names. I'm not sure what I've just gotten myself into, but I'm excited," says soon-to-be mother, Katniss._

_Click here for the official news release._

Well.

Katniss is having a child. With the bread boy. What the h*ll.

We were never officially a romantic thing, but there was always a fantasy, at least for me, that there were no more Games and we could get married and start a family. Live happily ever after. A fantasy, a stupid fairy tale, but once the Games ended…

I knew it wouldn't happen. As soon as those God forsaken parachutes detonated in the City Circle my chances went from extremely low to negative. Greater good or not, I was most likely indirectly responsible for the bombing that killed the girl most important to two of the people most important to me.

Rory still has trouble looking me in the eye.

It's been thirteen years.

I slam the laptop shut and lean back in my chair, years of hunting scenes playing over my closed eyelids.

Sure, we've ended the Games, but the odds were _not_ in my favor.

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**A/N: I don't think I'm very good at writing these characters, but let me know what _you_ think!**

**Please review, I really appreciate the feedback!**

**-cindella204**


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